Superb Idea: A Toilet that Uses Runoff Water from Your Sink

The toilet has been around for quite a long time without a major innovation-mostly because it's so simple and works so well. However, as we become ever more conscious of our water consumption, our gallon-devouring commodes leave something to be desired. Enter the creative folks over at Water Saver technologies. They've developed a the AQUS System- a simple way to capture the water from your sink's drain, do some basic filtering, and then run it into your toilet.

You wouldn't want your dog drinking this water, but otherwise it's totally safe and does the job perfectly. Considering an average American family of four flushes 100 gallons per day down their toilet's drain, the savings on our public water systems could be immense. And for all the talk of graywater solutions to reduce our water consumption, this is one of the most well integrated ones I've ever seen.

How it works:

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1. Lavatory tubing

2. 12-Volt pump

3. Screen to filter out larger particles like hair and toothpaste

4. Disinfecting tablet dispenser

5. 5.5 Gallon Resevoir

6. 3/8" hose and wire

7. Fill Valve

8. Water control unit delivers the treated, used water as primary source of toilet's flush

9. Patented toilet bolts allow reused water to enter from the bottom of the toilet tank

And for a more interactive exploration of the function, check out the AQUS website.